The Hunting Grounds

The sky over the Wasteland was overcast, and the wind on the ground was bitterly cold.

Two jeeps and a pickup raced across the uneven terrain. Their doors bore the emblem of a dragon's head and lightning bolt, marking them as vehicles from the Thunder Dragon Company.

Chen Chong sat in the pickup's bed, enduring the violent jolts and the frigid wind in his face. Yet he sat upright with his eyes closed, resting. His body rose and fell with the truck, moving naturally, as though he and the vehicle were one.

"Hard to believe you're still practicing the Breathing Method in this state."

Pei Li's voice came from beside him.

"I didn't expect to get dragged into this so soon."

Chen Chong opened his eyes.

"I may as well practice more. If I break through, I'll have a little more confidence."

"Impossible."

Pei Li's tone was decisive.

"The training methods they teach in the Park won't let you break through on your own. Otherwise, how would they keep you in check? You'll have to trade for the resources they control."

Chen Chong knew that too, but he didn't stop practicing.

A short man sitting opposite them in the truck bed smiled.

"No wonder you're the most famous madman around here lately. You train anytime, anywhere. No wonder you stomped Zhang Yao and beat Li Jun! I say you should take the Boxing Champion's seat at Thunder Dragon someday. Too bad even the strongest fighters can only sit in the Security Department's truck bed. Heh."

His tone was strange. It was hard to tell whether he was mocking Chen Chong, the Security Department, or both.

The man was Kong Qingsong, one of the strongest Official Fighters, and no weaker than Zhang Yao. Peng Wei leaned against the truck bed beside him.

There were four people in the truck bed: the fighters called in for this operation. They rode among several crates of equipment and supplies, exposed to the wind.

Though all four were strong, accomplished fighters, they were bundled tightly in thick winter coats. They had spent two hours rattling along and braving the wind since leaving town. The cold had stiffened all four of their faces, Chen Chong's included.

Chen Chong didn't respond to Kong Qingsong. Instead, he turned to Pei Li.

"How much farther?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Pei Li's voice was icy.

Chen Chong was at a loss. She was the one who'd spoken to him first.

"Shouldn't be long now."

Peng Wei looked around and spoke in a low voice.

Not long after he said that, the pickup screeched to a halt. The sudden braking nearly threw all four of them out of the truck bed.

The two jeeps stopped as well. Ten armed soldiers in camouflage and steel helmets climbed out of the three vehicles, carrying guns. They were a full Thunder Dragon Security Department combat squad.

Chen Chong and the others jumped down from the truck bed, but as soon as their feet touched the ground, a middle-aged man who looked like their leader approached and said coldly,

"Who told you to get down? Get back up and unload the supplies."

Chen Chong raised an eyebrow. The other three looked unhappy too.

But no one spoke. For one thing, their assignment was to cooperate fully with the Security Department. For another, the man was the squad leader—and the only person present who had reached a new level. He was in charge of the operation.

The four men passed several large crates down from the truck. They contained ammunition and grenades, food and clean water, and one crate of equipment specifically designed for hunting Earth Dragons.

No one from the combat squad offered to help. They scattered in pairs and threes as if the supplies had nothing to do with them. Some checked their gear, others stretched, and a few leaned together, leering at the four as they worked—especially Pei Li.

"Damn, I've never had a woman with legs that long."

"Yeah. Bet it'd feel incredible to sling her over your shoulder."

The security personnel spoke without restraint, making no effort to hide their words from the four. Pei Li glared at them, only to be met with even louder whistles.

"All right, keep it down."

Only then did the squad leader speak, putting a stop to the laughter.

But he kept his eyes on the surroundings and didn't even look at Chen Chong and the others. It was clear he hadn't spoken to maintain discipline; he was worried that the noise might disturb something.

The four could only keep working in silence.

The Security Department was Long Zhibin's personal force, built with his own hands and serving as his direct troops. Raising such a well-equipped combat unit in the Wasteland was no easy feat. Not even every one of the town's major powers had one. As a result, the Security Department was practically Thunder Dragon's most important division. Even its lowest-ranking guards had more status than junior managers in other departments, let alone the fighters at the bar who hadn't reached a new level.

At last, Chen Chong and the others finished unloading all the crates and opened them on the ground.

The squad leader directed his men to sort the supplies, then ordered Chen Chong and the others,

"Four detectors. One for each of you. Take them."

Pei Li's expression shifted.

"Captain Liu, that's not how this is supposed to work, is it?"

Chen Chong frowned too.

On the way here, Pei Li had explained how hunting Earth Dragons worked. In winter, Earth Dragons entered a shallow sleep and burrowed deep underground. The search team had to carry specialized ultrasonic detectors and scour the Hunting Grounds for them.

The problem was that Earth Dragons were sensitive to the detectors, and they were sensitive to the detectors' ultrasonic waves.

Usually, by the time the searchers found an Earth Dragon, it had already awakened and noticed them.

Then it would lock onto the human who had disturbed its hibernation.

In the previous joint hunts Pei Li had taken part in, at least one fighter who had reached a new level—usually the combat squad's deputy leader—had always carried a detector and led the way, while the other fighters supported them.

This squad was at full strength in terms of numbers, but not in ability. Only its leader, Liu Xun, had reached a new level.

If he wasn't going to lead the search, then the four of them would be in serious danger. They couldn't stand up to a mature Earth Dragon without reaching a new level. If they found one, Liu Xun would have to intervene immediately.

Liu Xun gave Pei Li a cold look.

"I'm in complete command of this operation. I decide the rules. Your job is to cooperate.

"Now pick up the equipment and get moving."

Under Liu Xun's cold, oppressive presence, the four had no choice but to pick up the heavy handheld ultrasonic detectors.

Those who had reached a new level were valued at Thunder Dragon. If even one of the four had been a Contracted Fighter, the squad wouldn't have dared treat them this way, and Liu Xun would have been much more polite.

But none of them were. Liu Xun was the only one who had reached a new level, and he was also a squad leader in the Security Department. He was doubly valued, not someone ordinary people could afford to offend—especially not now.

The four spread out in a rough fan shape and headed toward the Hunting Grounds.

A machine like a radio was strapped to Chen Chong's back. A long rod was attached to it, and he swept it back and forth over the ground.

If they found an Earth Dragon, the machine would sound an alarm, and then... he'd immediately sprint toward Liu Xun.

Chen Chong had already made up his mind.

Liu Xun's orders were the opposite: they were supposed to run as far away as possible. But Chen Chong wasn't about to make himself a sacrificial Earth Dragon decoy. He didn't care if he broke formation. He was going to stay close to the squad leader.

Earth Dragons were a typical kind of mutated creature, and an extremely powerful one. Though Exotic Beasts like these had become practically indistinguishable from wild animals in this world, Chen Chong had never seen one, even though he'd eaten their meat in soup many times.

He hoped he'd get to see one soon—but preferably not be the first to do so.

Just then, as Chen Chong was thinking about it, he heard a rapid, urgent series of beeps coming from farther away.

He turned sharply and saw that Kong Qingsong's alarm was going off. The short, stocky fighter promptly tossed the equipment aside and turned to run toward the main group. It seemed he and Chen Chong had reached the same conclusion.

But Chen Chong felt no sense of kinship. His expression changed.

He didn't know whether that damn fool had panicked and lost his sense of direction, but after turning around, he charged straight toward Chen Chong!